Viburnum plicatum
Doublefile Viburnum
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
8-10' tall & wide, rounded to broad-rounded form & horizontal, tiered branching. Medium growth rate.
Native Range
Native to China, Japan, Korea & Taiwan.
Flower and Fruit Details
White, May flowers w/out fragrance, in 2-6" diameter clusters. Egg-shaped, drupe fruits from fertile flowers (on tomentosum varieties), 0.33" long, bright red changing to bluish-black in July to August. Devoured by birds. One of the earliest viburnum species to display good fruit color.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Broad ovate, dentate-serrate leaves emerge early, opposite, simple, 2-4(5)" long & 1-2.5" wide, dark green & nearly glabrous above, pubescent beneath, w/ 8-12 pairs of impressed veins, on a petiole 0.5-1" long, hanging down creating a "dog-eared" effect. Fall color is a consistent reddish-purple. Bark on young branches tomentose, older branches dark gray or brownish, with orangish lenticels. Many small, horizontal side branches, 2 at a node, creating a fish-bone effect.
Culture and Care
Transplants well into moist, well-drained soils, will not tolerate heavy clay or poor drainage. Rejuvenate when needed by cutting back to 12" above ground in very early spring, resulting in the loss of most flowers and fruits that year. Some shade, supplemental water, and mulching may be necessary in hot southern climates. Zones 5-7(8). No serious diseases or insects, but occasional stem dieback may occur, especially in wet areas. Heat and drought of the summer might induce marginal leaf necrosis, scorch and browning.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Good wildlife value. 4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall, winter. Plicatum translates as "pleated," referring to the hanging leaf arrangement. Variety tomentosum refers to hairs on younger stems, petioles, and leaf undersides. The species form is actually sterile. Variety is fertile and occasionally produces fruit.
Suggested Uses
Uses: specimen, massing, screening, in a shrub border, or in foundation plantings to soften vertical lines of a building. The white flowers are accentuated when near dark or solid color backgrounds or buildings.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Viburnum plicatum 'Newzam' // Newport® Doublefile Viburnum
Shrub. Grows to 4-6' tall and wide, with an extremely dense, compact, mounded habit. Low hedge plant. The dark green leaves change to a good burgundy-red color in the fall. Creamy-white, 3" snowball-type flower clusters in April-May. Attracts butterflies. Flowers are more loose than species & nestled among the ovate, 2-3" leaves, so the floral effect is reduced, but still appreciable. Sterile, rarely fruits. Tolerates drought. Same as 'Nanum Newport'. A Lake County Nursery introduction from Perry, Ohio.
Bed 159Viburnum plicatum 'Weeping Magic' // Weeping Magic Doublefile Viburnum
Shrub. Usually quite compact, wider than tall at maturity, with weeping branches. Gets only 3-4' tall and 4-6' wide. Eventually becomes low-mounded in habit, but starts out looking more like a bird's nest spruce in form. Light green foliage, which usually drops before any fall color develops. Other years, it may produce some reddish-purple fall color, but not reliably. Flowers and fruits may be sparse, depending on the year, the weather and pollination. Flowers are white, held above the foliage, in typical lacecap/pinwheel type combination of fertile and infertile florets, in May-June. Zones 5-7. Could be used as a low hedge.
Bed 132Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum // Doublefile Viburnum
Shrub. 8-10' tall and 9-12' wide. White, April/May flowers w/out fragrance, in 2-6" diameter, flat-topped cymes, in 2 rows, above the stem. Outer flowers sterile w/ 4-5 lobes, Inner flowers fertile but small. Flowers 2-3 weeks earlier than the species. The common name, "Doublefile", comes from the two rows of flowers held high above the horizontal branches.
Bed 161Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Mariesii' // Mariesii Doublefile Viburnum
Shrub. Horizontal habit with large ray flowers up to 1.75" wide. There are many plants labeled as Mariesii which are actually not. The leaves should have extended apices with a slight drooping tendency, and are perhaps lighter green in summer than other types. The large, 4-6" white flower clusters are raised high above the foliage on 2.5" high peduncle stems. Reddish-purple fall foliage color. Fruit set is abundant in some cases, or lacking in the absence of a suitable pollinator. Gets 10-12' tall & 10-15' wide, with strongly layered, horizontal branching and lacecap-type flowers. Zone 5-7. Received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Bed 125 - Bed 266Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Popcorn' // Popcorn Doublefile Viburnum
Shrub. A vigorous grower, but tight in habit. Leaves are dark green and leathery in texture. Good heat and drought tolerance. Produces 2-3" diameter of creamy-white snowball flowers, resembling balls of popcorn, in abundance in April/May. Attracts butterflies. Foliage holds well throughout the summer. Grows 8-10' tall and 6-8' wide. Zones 5-7. Makes a good hedge plant, specimen, group planting, shrub border, or foundation plant. Good fall color is reddish purple to burgundy to bronzy-red. Sporadic fruit production may produce red drupes turning to black. This is sometimes listed as a cultivar of Viburnum plicatum f. plicatum, due to the snowball-type flower heads. Introduced by David Leach of North Madison, Ohio.
-- not currently in our collection --Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Shasta' // Shasta Doublefile Viburnum
Shrub. Abundant pure white, pinwheel-type flowers on 4-6" wide flower heads. The immense inflorescences literally cover all the foliage, attracting various butterflies. Flowers are also good for cutting. This is the first doublefile viburnum cultivar to result from a breeding program, introduced in 1979 from the U.S. National Arboretum. Habit is broad and strongly horizontally branched. Gets 6-10' tall (occasionally to 12') & 9-12' wide. Usually is wider than tall as it grows. Red fruits in July change to black by August, attracting various songbirds. Burgundy-red to purplish-red fall color. To maintain best appearance, Shasta shrubs should not be pruned
Bed 131 - Bed 214Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake' // Summer Snowflake Viburnum
Shrub.
Bed 265